Kinetoscope



Oct. 12

' W. P: PONDELICEK xxuwosoors Filed March 27. 1922 4 Sheets-Shoot l ED [:1 .E\ 71 110472! Wilde/[06f 'w. P. PONDELICEK KINELOSCOPE Filed March 27. 1922 4 Sheets-Shoot 2 ,Jiz

Oct. 12

Oct. 12 ,1926. 1,602,930

W. P. PONDELICEK KINETGSCOPE Filed March 27. 1922 4 Sheets- Sheet IIIUJCDIIID Dlllm mmmmnnmm PW max Oct. 12 1926.

w. P. POND ELlCEK KINE'IOSCOPE Filed March 27. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 BBHQDDBBQB W EEEEE Patented Oct. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM P; PONZDELIOEK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOISQ AS BIGN OR OF ONE-THIRD '10 MICHAEL E. ll-OMAN AND ONE-THIRD TO EDWARD TOMA-N, BOTH OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS imnroseorn.

Animation filed mum 27, 199:. Siiall 1%. $47,173.

This invention relates to a kinetosoope, end it is an object of this inventionto pro- Vide a variable drive that will shift a picture during such a smell are of inoveinent thereof that a shutter is unnecessary.

It is a further bject of this invention to provide variable fil shifting or advancing means to prevent the tearing of the film under the shiftin movements thereof;

It is also an dhjeot of this inventionjto provide film shifting Or advancing mechanismthdt brings the film to a stog before the some is locked while being exhi ited.

It is a further object of time invention to provide a kinetosoop'e of the above characteristics that will avoid flicking of the pictures, f v

With these and other objects in view,

which will become more apparent in the 'fOIlOWlhg description and disclosures in the drawings, this invention comprises the novel mechanism and combinations hereinafterdescribed and more pertieulerly pointedout in theappended claims".

A In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention, and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar features in the different views: I

Figure 1 isan' elevation of the innatesoo e connected to an electric motor,

' Figure 2 is a view partly in section nd partly in elevation illustrating the variable film shifting means upon an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the kinetoscope upon an enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the inter-looking Wheel. H

Figure 5 is a plan view of a filrn sprocket.

Figure 6 is a top plan View of the kinetosoope upon an enlarged Scale.-

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section through the film shifting mechanism.

Figure 8 is a view fiaitly in section end partly in elevation of t e interlookingmechunisin and film sprockets upon an enlar ed scale. t

Figure 9 is a fragmentaryplen view of the film Ioekingwheel.

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic viewof the development of the variable film shifting worm. V 7

As shown on the drawings. In referring now to the drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of this invention, the numeral "ingly mounted.

1 (Fig.1) represents a motor having a gear 2 upon its shaft which meshes with a gear 3 on a vertical shaft 4 journalled in bearin lugs '5 integral With the kinetoseope easing '6. The'u'pper end of the shaft 4 is provided withabeveled gear 7 which meshes with, a

beveled ear 8 seetired upon a driving shaft 9 journe led in a hearing boss formed in the well ot theoasing s.

7 Within the amid, a disk 10 (Fig. 3 is keyed upon the sha t 9 to rotate therewith. Near the outerperipher of the disk 10, a wrist pin 11- isjsuitably anchored in antiperture in said disk is by the set-strewn, and

e-pitinsn rod 13 'isjo1'1rnel1ed'uyon the outer end of the pin 11 and spaced roni the disk 10'- hy means of the washer 14.

Within the casing 6, the're is a vertical bearing 15 having a longitudinal journal hearing at its upper end in which a shaft 16 is rotatably mounted against end- Wise thrust by means of the thrust bearin block it? seonred thereon and benrin' 'egainst the outer end of so id supp-ort'lo. he inner end of the shift 16 has keyed thereupon an operating and looking disk 18 having en peniphemlflanve 19 which is beveled to rovidee sort or knife edge. The opera ng means of said disk 18 eoinprisese stud 20 "rejecting from the rear side of said disk aii h ving a beveled (Inter head. The stud may be screw thre ded into the wall of said disk and anchored therein by means ft set screw. A hollow bearing block 21 is secured upon; the front face off said disk" v18 in which thepitinan 13 iss1id- M It should be partienl-efly noted that the uxisof shaft 16 isoiiset or eccentric with relation to the axis f the shaft 9, and'thett thevvr'ist pin 11 is but a short distance above the shaft 16 when in a true vertical plane.

Now, as the disk 10 revolves in one directiorn, say an anti-clockwise direction, the disk 18 will likewise be caused to rotate in an e ti-oloekwise direction since the line of the pitrnnn'lz; must always pass through theeenter line of the shaft 16. Astliedisk 18 revolves from t position in which the pin 11 is near its uppermost position, the pitinan 13 will slide in the block 21 which trevels further and further away from the pin 11 until substantially tn ai'ci of I8O' l1as' been troversed. Nowfas'the distance between the in 7 disk 18 decreases in relation to the speed of the disk 10. And as both disks travel 180 in the same period of time, a variable speed between the two disks arises which causes the disk 18 to travel very rapidly at first and then more slowly thereafter. The proportion of parts and design is such that as the pin 11 begins to move during its uppermost arc, a very small are of movement, say 10 degrees, will rotate the disk 18 through a much larger are which will be sufficient to shift or advance a new picture,'and this new picture will be advanced so quickly that it will not he perceptible and a shutter will not be needed. The picture will hence be exhibited while the disk 10 travels substantially through an arc of 850.

.provided with end bearings 25 in which the shaft 22 is also journalled. In said recess between the bearings 25, a worm or cam wheel 26 is keyed upon the shaft 22 that engages'with the stud 20.

The cam wheel 26 is formed with a plurality of irregular longitudinal grooves which in the present instance are contiguous to one another, being separated by narrow ridges in the form of worm teeth. The stud 20 is adapted tobe rotated through these grooves for periodically advancing the film. Now, when thestud enters a cam groove, the disk 18 is rotating at about its greatest speed, a speed which will jerk and suddenly pull the film and likely tear the same. This speed is required to effect an imperceptible advancement of the film, and in order. to prevent the sudden jerking of the film, the entrance of each cam slot is designed of a pitch of slow approach.' A diagrammatic view of the action is shown in Fig. 10, in which the arcuate line 27 represents the are traversed by the pin 20 'as it passes through a cam slot, and the line 28 represents a development of the curve of motion of the cam wheel. In referring to said Fig. 10, the pin 20 is supposed to enter the cam slot from the left hand side. The first pair of ordinates 29 and 30 show the curve 28 as a straight line. Hence there will be no'rotation of the cam wheel while the pin 20 traverses the distance between these ordinates. But as the pin 20 advances from the ordinate 30 toward the ordinate 31, the cam wheel will be slowly started on account of the action'of the pin 20 against the gradual. relative slope of the cam groove between the ordinates 30 and 31. This slope is termed the pitch of slow a proach and is designed to gradually start tl ie film to prevent tearing thereof. From the ordinate 31, the pitch of the cam groove increases until the ordinate 32 is reached. The distance between the ordinates 32 and 33 represents the crest of the cam pitch from which 18' is rotated into interlocking engagement with the disk 24- which is provided with spaced notches 36 one of which is adapted to be rotated into position to be engaged by the knife-edged flange of the disk 18 directly after each advancement of the film.

The knife-edged flange of the disk 18 is cutaway at 37 to a circumferential extent substantially equal to the are through which the disk18 moves during each rotation of the film advancing mechanism.

Operation: Assuming the parts to be in the position in which the pin 11 of disk 10 is about to begin to travel through its uppermost arc, which may be termed the film advancing arc, and the disk 18 has passed out of interlocking engagement with the film locking disk 24 and the stud 20 is about to enter the cam slot or has entered the idle part thereof, rotation of disk 10 will now impart a much greater rate of rotation to disk 18wh-ile the stud 20 is passing through the cam slot of the cam wheel 26. As the stud 20 passes through the camslot, a variable motion will be imparted to the film. supporting shaft 22, as previously explained, and when the stud 20 passes through the dwell of the cam slot, the disk 18 will have r0 tated through an "are substantially equal to the recessed portion of the knife-edged flange and the shaft 22 will have rotated sufficiently to advance the film and bring a notch 86 ofthe locking disk 24L in the plane of the knife-edged flange of disk 18, so that the disk 18 may be rotated into interlocking engagement with the locking disk 24 while the shaft 22 is held in a stationary position. hen the stud 20 has passed out of engagement with the cam member 24-, the film shaft 22 will be held stationary, the disk 18 rotating with its knife edged flange engaging a notch in the locking wheel 24. lVhen the I disk 18 has completed its revolution, the knife edged flange will. have passed out of engagement with the locking disk, and the stud 20 will again engage the cam member for again advancing the film.

' From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the apparatus involving my invention advances the film during a very small arc of travel of the driving member 10,

that the film is gradually started so that the same will not tear nor be damaged, that the film shaft is held by the cam worm until locked from rotation during the exhibition of the picture. These results and advantages flow primarily from the novel train of variable driving mechanism that is employed for actuating the film shaft.

I am aware that numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a kinetoscope, a variable speed disk, a film advancing shaft, a variable cam thereon, means on the face of said disk coacting with said cam to rotate the same while said disk is revolving at its highest speed, said cam having a pitch of slow approach at the start of its rotation and a dwell at the end thereof, and a second disk having circumferential notches therein and 2. In a kinetoscope a variable speed disk, a

film advancing shaft, a cam wheel secured to said shaft having more than four longitudinal grooves therein of variable pitch, means on the face of said disk coactin with said grooves to rotate said cam and a Vance the film by one picture while said disk is revolving at its highest speed, said grooves having each a pitch of slow approach at the start and a dwell at the end thereof, and a second disk having circumferential notches therein andmounted on said film advancing shaft, said notches coacting with the edge of said first disk to lock said shaft against rotation when said means is out of engagement with said cam.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed m name. I

WI LIAM P. PONDELICEK. 

